Place: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by jale:

4.28/5 rDev +5.7%vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5

Best beer store in the mid-Michigan area. Very large selection of most beer styles. You can buy just 1 bottle of everything that comes in 6-packs. All of the singles are in the cooler. They normallly have most limited release Michigan beers here. The staff are very familar with beer geeks and can answer most questions. They will place your name on a list for up coming releases. The staff call you as soon as the beers you request have come in. They cater very well to the beer crowd, and I have never been unhappy anytime I stop here.

More User Reviews:

Okay, first of all, it's pronounced Odie's, like the dog from Garfield, not Ode's, which is how I've been saying it for four years. Whatever.

Okay, good selection of Michigan stuff, lots of specialty releases, Founders Backstage beers, Bell's seasonals, everything Short's, lots of Odd Side, Vivant, GLBC, everything in the area. Michigan has such a surfeit of great beer that I think we sometimes forget how many great non-local breweries there are. In New York, I could buy tons of beer from California, the Carolinas, etc. In Michigan, we don't get a lot of that kind of stuff, which isn't a bad thing, but our idea of "selection" is tipped heavily in favor of the upper Midwest.

Anyway, Oades really packs the shit out of their store with Michigan brews. They don't refrigerate any of their six packs, but they offer everything they sell in singles, which is great, and they refrigerate the remainder of six/four packs that they break up. It's definitely one of the best singles selections I've ever seen. Bombers are few and far between, but, again, Michigan breweries really don't put out much in terms of bombers (Backstage, Jolly Pumpkin, and 1G Dragon's Milk are all available, however).

The service is usually pretty good. I always yak with the employees about beer releases. There are at least three people working at all times, which is excessive, but they're accommodating.

The reason that Oades doesn't get a better score is because they mark up everything they sell. Devil Dancer for $7/btl? No, I don't think so. Specialty four packs from Founders for $14.99 (Dark Penance, Harvest Ale, etc.)? No, I don't think so. Simtra for $14? No. With all of the recent drama over Founders pricing, it'll be really interesting to see how much Big Lushious costs at Oades, since the suggested retail is $15. I'm going to guess $19.99 at least. I shop elsewhere when possible simply because their prices are not only high, but insultingly high.

Anyway, they keep lists for really coveted releases, so make sure to ask/put your name down if you're anticipating something like KBS or Black Note or the Planet Series.

Stopped in here about 5 minutes before closing after the Boise State/Michigan State game.... I called thinking that I wasn't going to make it because of a traffic jam, but a nice man said he would stay open a few minutes late if I could make it in time. He also hooked me up with a Short's Peaches and Creme, that wasn't on shelves.

Pretty organized.... Allow single 12oz purchases which is sweet. Picked up a bunch of stuff that I have been wanting to try.

Good selection of Michigan stuff.... Disappointed that there was no Kunhenn.

Negative: A LOT of stuff on warm shelves that should be refrigerated. I got back to my hotel room and noticed I paid $3.50 for Bell's Third Coast pale ale... NOT the Old Ale.... Had to be mispriced.

Overall... I wish I had more time to really go through things and buy more brews that I had never heard of... A bit on the expensive side.... but the service was impeccable.

I go to Oades all the time to try beers. This place has the most amazing selection of singles I've ever seen thus far from any store. About 15 different refrigerators fill with them, along with may shelves with room temp stuff. Most of the people who stock beer there have good beer knowledge and are super helpful whether its finding beer or hooking you up with the stuff they just got. They have everything here from really cheap beer/liquor to super expensive specialty beer.

There prices are a bit pricey but not absurd especially considering their selection.

This is the second stop for me into this place. Both times I have not been impressed and noticed that the prices are higher than what I can find in the Chicago area.

The place is a little dingy looking but if the prices were better, I wouldn't care about that. Its part beer/wine/liquor store part convenience store. It was a little difficult to move around the store, as the aisles were skinny and there were boxes in the middle of the aisles.

There was no service at the store but I had no questions either. Service at beer stores is not a bid deal for me unless I have questions or want to know if there are special beers in the back.

The selection was alright. I like that you can do singles, although the singles were fairly pricey ($2.25 for Centennial and Reds Rye). They had about six different Jolly Pumpkin beers. I also saw Founders, Bells, Shorts, New Holland, Heavy Seas and others.

As mentioned the prices here are quite high. The new versions of the Mad Hatter beers were either $8 or $9. I can get these in Chicago for $4 or $5.

I would go back here unless I found a better place. I think I will venture out and find another place.

I been a Big Ten regular for many years now and haven't found any better store in the Lansing area to feed my craftbrew habit. The store looks well worn but more than makes up for it with their selection of over 300 beers. Everything they sell you can buy as singles OR in 6 packs at a discount (not just six singles added together as some others have said). They also alow you to make your own 6 pack and give you 10% off. I was told they up that discount to 15% at certain times but the days escape me. Overall this is a great place to grab some great beer.

Great selection of single bottles. Lots of MI breweries, many out of state names like Stone, DFH, North Coast, Great Divide, and a fair bit of Belgians too. One of the best selections in town. The place has no windows; I haven't had a skunky beer from here.

Unfortunately, as mentioned by other reviewers, all beer is sold singly, so a six-pack of X beer is rung up as six singles of X beer. Therefore a six pack of Sierra Nevada is $12-13. That appears to be the lower range for a six pack.

The service is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They will run to the back and get a cold six-pack of anything you want (If you're not mixing a six).

I can't afford to go here all the time, but for rarities I'll stop in once every month or two.

This place's prices are outrageous, especially lately. I bought (what they called) a "six pack" of Bell's Two Hearted Ale. It was not a six pack; it was six *single priced* 12 oz. bottles, placed in a Two Hearted Ale box (they don't have regular six packs available--you have to "request" a six pack of Two Hearted). The single prices are expensive, and their "six pack" is nothing but some guy going in the back a slinging together six already over-priced bottles in a box. Then the cashier has the gall to say "man, I remember when this stuff was around 10 bucks!" Hey genius: IT STILL IS!

Really great place for the beer junkie. Selection of microbreweries in Michigan is as good as it gets. They had almost everything from Founder's, Bell's, Dark Horse, etc. on top of a great selection of brews from around the States & world. Furthermore, you can chat it up with one of the employees whose knowledge is just as expansive as anyone here on BA. We mentioned a couple of selections that we enjoyed, and he was able to suggest 3-4 that he thought we'd like as well. The only downside is the price, which is huge for a college student. You can pick out singles (or six packs) of every beer, but $6-7 for a standard craft (Dogfish Head, Founder's, etc.) seemed more compared to other stores in the area. I loved the place, and will recommend anyone looking for an adventure for their palate.

(Service gets 5.0 for the ability to email requests in to the managers... YES!)

Part of my Michigan beer junket while away on business for my soon-to-be former employer, this non-descript liquour store moments away from the campus of Michigan State University (who will lose in a bad way to the UCONN Huskies today in the semi-final game of the Final Four) turned out to be one of my best experiences in a liquor store. Great service from the young beer dudes who gave me a "tour" of the well-stocked coolers and gave me some suggestions for brews outside the expected (Founders, Bells) for purchase. Total craft enthusiasts who know their stuff and know customer service. Loads of top notch MI brews and also select out of staters. Nice Belgian selection though there focus isn't there (and shouldn't be). 10 percent off on mixxed sixers like I did. A small store but crammed with quality. An enthusiasts wet dream, particularly for MI brew selection.

Ahhh Oades! Surprised I haven't reviewed yet definitely the biggest selection in the area - loads of single bottles in coolers and empty 4/6 packs waiting to be filled at 5/10% respectively off their marked prices. Prices are normally a little higher than elsewhere due to the selection of singles and trying to maintain a business, so it doesn't bother me too much.

They carry a lot, only place to find jolly pumpkin around here and they usually have 3-4+ varieties depending on season, dark horse, founders, arbor, arcadia, avery, stone, bells, victory, lagunitas, shmaltz, dogfish head, stoudts, flying dog, north coast, mad river, clipper city, new holland, goose island, great lakes, brooklyn, great divide, southern tier, all the sierra nevada and sam adams line ups, quite a few belgians, umm, theres loads more and usually more on the way.

They usually have copies of great lakes brewing news and every now and then ale street news for free - an excellent service to the beer community and if you get really lucky sometimes they even put out sweet beer swag like bumper stickers and other promotional goodies.

I find myself stopping in oades at least a few times a month, but it usually ends up to be more for something or other. The regular staff are all awesome, friendly, and a majority are beer geeks willing to chat it up. I always enjoy their service and will regularly ask for suggestions of things or if they've tried so-and-so or when they anticipate getting this-and-that in.

If you're in the area you owe it to yourself to see if they have anything that may interest you :D

The outside of the building is nondescript, but inside Big Ten offers a fine array of craft brews, both foreign and local, and all of them available as singles.

The stock seems to be relatively fresh, or at least dusted. I didn't notice anything particularly out of season. The newest locals were available, and the selection seemed to be across the board good with a large array of beers from most of the major micro breweries in the US. The foreign selection pales a bit in comparison, but it is still decent. If you're interested in single malts and other liquor, they also have a decently large selection of those as well. I also have to say, it's hard to go to a smaller place like this after living in GR, Kazoo and Ann Arbor; while Oade's have a fairly solid selection, there are little things that they absolutely never get in that would otherwise be in my regular rotation (i.e.: Kuhnhenn brews, special Unibroue offerings, random stuff like North Coast's Old Stock and the JW Lee Harvest beers) that were regularly stocked at the big beer stores in my other homes. Make no mistake, for Lansing they're amazing, but...

Friendly, seemingly knowledgeable staff, easy to talk to.

Prices were a skosh high, but I'm willing to pay a bit extra for mixed sixers from a store like this, because though many stores are willing to do it, few have the kind of selection that Big Ten does.

Overall: pretty much the place to get beer in this city. A pretty wide variety of brews and a huge array of singles. Minor niggles aside, this is a quality place, thumbs up.

Oades Big Ten is one of my usual stops. They have a good selection, with more breweries than I could mention. Some are: Bell's, New Holland, Victory, DFH, Great Lakes, Dark Horse, Rogue, and many others. They have alot of the more rare things, like Rogue 10000 and DFH Golden Shower, but these are a little on the pricey side. Where Oades really excels is in the mix-a-six area. They have almost more singles than sixers, and you can mix and match your own. They also give you ten percent off six or more beers! The staff is very helpful and friendly, but don't forget to bring your ID. Recommended.

Between Goodrich's and Oades Big 10, you should be all set for awhile. The beer selection (along with wine and liquor) is pretty astounding, and was a little overwhelming for awhile. The Belgian selection alone is worth the trip- although something I find weird is the amount of Trapistes Rochefort, but no St. Bernardus. Oh well- not a big deal at all. This is a great place to come for beer singles, and they even offer a discount if you get a 6 pack. The service is alright, you get help if you ask for it but that's about it. Plenty of Rogue, Dogfish, Victory, Bell's and Founders to go around. A lot of the micros are in fridges too! This place is not cheap though- but with their selection, who can blame them?

Also, take notice of the "wall of fakes"- don't bother trying if you're underage.

Not to contradict some other reviewers, but that is exactly what I intend to do. They do not only sell single bottles, or six singles individually priced. They sell six packs of every beer they carry (with the exception of beers that come in 4 packs, or bottles meant for individual sale) at six pack prices. Don't believe me? Ask to see the list they keep at the counter in which all of their six pack prices are listed. And while their individual bottle prices are typically marked up, when you mix and match your own six pack they give you a 10% discount on whatever the total cost is, which is an awesome way to create your own personalized beer flight.

Big Ten most certainly has the best selection of beer in the Lansing area. The Belgian cooler is impressively stocked (in my opinion) and there is ample Michigan Craft Beer. I've only recieved a skunked beer from Big Ten once and considering the thousands of beers I have purchased form them that is a good ratio. The staff is incredibly friendly and if you're in there enough they usually take the effort to learn your name.

I have been buying beer at Odes for a very long time, at one point in time i had drank almost every beer they sold and save over 300+ bottle for a collection; which i later returned for the refund and bought more beer.

odes has over 600 beers now. it is the best selection in lansing hands down, most of the staff are knowageable. they also have a good wine selection and the biggest liquior selection in lansing.

this great selection is not cheap i but hey everyone has to moke money and they prices are not to bad i just have expencive tastes.

This is my "neighborhood" party store; it's only about a mile and a half from my house.

They have an incredible selection of craft and macro beers; I'd say in the ball park of 300 or so. The coolest part is that they have harder-to-find beers, rare beers, and a whole cooler full of Lambics and Belgians the size of wine bottles. You can make a mixed 6er, and get 10% off, which is good because they are a little pricier than some of the other stores.

Service is pretty slim, unless you ask. One of the guys there, younger, actually knows his stuff, but will tay lodged behund the counter until you initiate the conversation.

Some of the more rare beers are a little dusty, but that's because there may only be about 10 of us in the area willing to drink craft beers....

Massive amounts of flourescent lights in the coolers, and constant opening and closing of the cooler doors, has pretty much killed the chances for survival of green- and clear-bottled beer, so don't get your Heiny here.

Added bonus: you can get Bell's kegs from these guys, and if you give them a few days, you can get Guinness kegs.

This store was located next to a gas station and seemed to blend into the other buildings, i.e. it was hard to find. The people working there offered no help and were actually too busy talking about their lives to each other than to offer help. The selection was smaller than I was expecting but they did have some beers I hadn't seen before (Leopold Bro's, some Avery products, Sam Adams DB, etc) I didn't notice any Belgians which was upsetting. I'm not sure if the turnover is too good either. Not really worth it unless you drive right by the place.

The selection is great, but sometimes a little dusty. Service is OK, when you ask for it. The only time I was offered service, I was shopping for a 750 of Lindemans and the guy seemed more interested in my wife than in the sale. In fact, she was a bit uncomfortable.
Most of the stuff tastes fine, but stay away from clear and green bottles, as the immense amount of flourescent light quickly skunkifies them. Also, prices are often exorbitant, but I figure I'm subsidizing the stuff I can't get elsewhere, so it doesn't bother me too much. It's also a great place to put together a gift for a blossoming BA, as you can get 10% off mixed sixers, making the prices a little more affordable.